Systems and methods for content sharing using template-driven workflows

Abstract

Systems and methods for cloud-based file sharing, where templates are provided for creating workflow instances which enable the sharing of managed objects. Reusable workflow templates are stored in the repository of a cloud-based file sharing system as objects that define components of the workflow, or placeholders for these components. A user instantiates a workflow instance from one of the templates and configures the workflow instance to identify content objects or forms, tasks related to the content objects, and users assigned to perform the tasks. The workflow instance is stored as an object in the repository. Users assigned to tasks are authorized through the workflow instance to access the content objects or forms to perform the tasks.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multitenant content sharing system for enabling use of workflow instances in a multitenant environment, comprising:
 a content server; 
 a data repository coupled to the content server for storing a plurality of content objects that are encrypted with keys of corresponding tenants; 
 a user interface for enabling users of external systems to interact with the content server; 
 wherein the multitenant content sharing system enables a first user of an external system to:
 initiate a workflow instance which is associated with a content object that is stored in the data repository and is accessible by the first user according to tenant access rules of an owner of the content object, wherein when the workflow instance is initiated, a second user of the external system is not explicitly authorized to access the content object by the tenant access rules of the owner of the content object; 
 assign to the second user a task of the workflow instance, wherein the task is associated with the content object; and 
 
 wherein the multitenant content sharing system automatically enables, in response to the first user assigning the second user to the task of the workflow instance, the second user to access the content object associated with the task according to a configuration of the workflow instance. 
 
     
     
       2. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 1 , wherein the second user is an external user that is not associated with the tenant-owner of the content object. 
     
     
       3. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 2 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system enables the second user to access the content object by enabling ad hoc authorization of the second user to access the content object without prior system-level authorization of the second user. 
     
     
       4. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 1 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system stores one or more workflow templates, wherein the multitenant content sharing system enables the first user to initiate the workflow instance comprises enabling the first user to instantiate the workflow as an instance of one of the workflow templates. 
     
     
       5. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 4 , wherein each of the workflow templates comprises a template object that is stored in the data repository, each template object including one or more task attributes, one or more content object attributes and one or more associated user attributes. 
     
     
       6. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 5 , wherein each instance of a workflow template contains metadata defining one or more tasks, one or more content objects and one or more associated users. 
     
     
       7. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 1 , further comprising the multitenant content sharing system, in response to completion of the task of the workflow instance, automatically revoking authorization of the second user to access the content object via association of the content object with the task of according to the configuration of the workflow instance. 
     
     
       8. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 6 , wherein the metadata includes an indicator corresponding to each of the one or more content objects, wherein the indicator indicates whether the content object is a working document or a reference document, and wherein if the indicator indicates that the content object is a working document the multitenant content sharing system enables the second user to edit the content object, and wherein if the indicator indicates that the content object is a reference document the multitenant content sharing system prevents the second user from editing the content object. 
     
     
       9. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 1 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system enabling the second user to access the content comprises decrypting the content object using a decryption key of a tenant-owner of the content object. 
     
     
       10. The multitenant content sharing system of  claim 1 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system enabling the first user to associate the content object with the workflow instance comprises:
 determining whether the first user is authorized to access the content object according to the tenant access rules of the tenant-owner of the content object, 
 if the first user is authorized to access the content object, enabling the first user to associate the content object with the workflow instance, and 
 if the first user is not authorized to access the content object, preventing the first user from associating the content object with the workflow instance. 
 
     
     
       11. A method for enabling use of workflows in a multitenant environment, the method comprising:
 providing a content server; 
 coupling a data repository to the content server for storing a plurality of content objects that are encrypted with keys of corresponding tenants; 
 providing a user interface for enabling users of external systems to interact with the content server; 
 initiating a workflow instance which is associated with a content object that is stored in the data repository and is accessible by the first user according to tenant access rules of an owner of the content object, wherein when the workflow instance is initiated, a second user of the external system is not explicitly authorized to access the content object by the tenant access rules of the owner of the content object; 
 assigning to the second user a task of the workflow instance, wherein the task is associated with the content object; and 
 automatically enabling, in response to the first user assigning the second user to the task of the workflow instance, the second user to access the content object associated with the task according to a configuration of the workflow instance. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second user is an external user that is not associated with the tenant-owner of the content object. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system enables the second user to access the content object by enabling ad hoc authorization of the second user to access the content object without prior system-level authorization of the second user. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system stores one or more workflow templates, wherein the multitenant content sharing system enables the first user to initiate the workflow instance comprises enabling the first user to instantiate the workflow as an instance of one of the workflow templates. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the workflow templates comprises a template object that is stored in the data repository, each template object including one or more task attributes, one or more content object attributes and one or more associated user attributes. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein each instance of a workflow template contains metadata defining one or more tasks, one or more content objects and one or more associated users. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the multitenant content sharing system, in response to completion of the task of the workflow instance, automatically revoking authorization of the second user to access the content object via association of the content object with the task of according to the configuration of the workflow instance. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metadata includes an indicator corresponding to each of the one or more content objects, wherein the indicator indicates whether the content object is a working document or a reference document, and wherein if the indicator indicates that the content object is a working document the multitenant content sharing system enables the second user to edit the content object, and wherein if the indicator indicates that the content object is a reference document the multitenant content sharing system prevents the second user from editing the content object. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system enabling the second user to access the content comprises decrypting the content object using a decryption key of a tenant-owner of the content object. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the multitenant content sharing system enabling the first user to associate the content object with the workflow instance comprises:
 determining whether the first user is authorized to access the content object according to the tenant access rules of the tenant-owner of the content object, 
 if the first user is authorized to access the content object, enabling the first user to associate the content object with the workflow instance, and 
 if the first user is not authorized to access the content object, preventing the first user from associating the content object with the workflow instance.